Castlevania: Crimson Rose
by SageofAges729
Summary: Soma has become the Dark Lord. He has betrayed those he had called friend, and has taken human life. All to avenge Mina. But when he learns that she still lives, he vows to find her. Obstacles stand in his way, however. The greatest of these? Mina herself


_Ok, this is a total new genre for me, although to be honest, I am surprised no one had thought and/or wrote this sort of idea before me. This is also my first time officially writing in the Castlevania fandom, so please don't be too hard on me._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Castlevania. But I do have a copy of Dawn of Sorrow, as well as Aria of Sorrow, which still needs to be finished. Oops._

_**Warnings:**__ The rating has a chance of being raised from T to M. I'm not quite sure as to what might happen, but then, an evil Soma is a unpredictable Soma. And to my friends who might read this, (you know who you are!) be careful. I haven't really told you exactly what I am capable of writing. __**YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**_

_Summery: (Set after Dawn of Sorrow, bad ending.) Soma has become the Dark Lord, believing that Mina is dead. However, when he learns that she still lives, though in hiding, he draws on every resource he has at his disposal to search for her. What starts as a search becomes an obsession, as Soma will stop at nothing to claim what is rightfully his. But obstacles block him every step of the way. The greatest of these? Mina herself._

"_Speech"_

'_Thoughts'_

_Inner-self/instincts_

_Dream/Flashback_

**Recollection**

Castlevania: Crimson Rose

Prologue: The Dead, Reborn

"_Mina!"_

"…_watch the last moments of your loved one's life…"_

"_So…Soma-kun…"_

"…_heartless wench…!"_

"…_the new Dark Lord shall emerge…"_

"_Fine! Make me Dark Lord!"_

"_Wh-why? I…brought you back…into this world…"_

"…_the petty little humans will soon follow."_

Dark red eyes as Soma Cruz, the new Dark Lord, awoke.

"A dream…' he thought idly, recalling how he was reborn into a vampire. He never knew what to feel when his thoughts came to that dream. Always he sneered when the visions came to ordinary things in his old life as a human. School, family, friends…

When it came to the life changing events of his past, however, the sneer was replaced with a frown. Despite his rebirth as a vampire, his human heart and all the emotions that came with it, hadn't died. Not completely at least.

He recalled the faces of those he had once called friend when he went through the trials in Dracula's castle. Yoko came first into mind. A powerful mage who worked for the Church. 'Such great talent wasted on the old fools,' he shook his head at the thought. If ever she took his offer of joining his side, he would gladly take her in as one of the Children of the Night.

Thinking of Yoko somewhat reminded him of Hammer. A resourceful man, he would admit, but one he cared little for. The merchant often thought too much with his heart.

Then there was Arikado, or Alucard. The thought of the man made Soma's frown deepen. He was going to be major trouble sooner or later these next few years. Being a dhampire made him extremely dangerous, allowing him immunity against sunlight, which was the bane of all vampires. It even gave him a higher tolerance against holy magic and relics. If the memories of his past life were correct, the tolerance went as far as the traitor wielding lesser holy weapons such as holy water. If that wasn't enough, Arikado also had a deeper knowledge of the darker arts, which robbed Soma most of the element of surprise. Many of the barriers and magics that he used would have to be extensively changed in order to give him the slip.

Soma's thoughts abruptly shifted at the thought of possible invasion. The only one that was truly capable of that was Julius Belmont. A man that he respected as both a friend in his old life, and a foe in his rebirth. The human had surprised him in both his drive and power, and had been a worthy opponent. Soma allowed his thoughts to wonder to their last confrontation.

"_So, you have come," Soma said, his back turned to the intruder. _

"_Of course. How could I not?" There was Julius, the man who had taken down Dracula thirty seven years prior. "It's my duty to take you down, no matter who you are, or what form you take."_

_Soma didn't respond immediately, instead turning to face his former friend. The man was perhaps in his mid-fifties, ancient as far as Belmonts go. Rarely did they live past their forties, always dying on some hunt or another. Soma took note of the famed Vampire Killer whip at his side, it's power fully returned now that a new Dark Lord had emerged. As he pondered on the situation, a thought came to him._

"_Do you have a family?" Soma asked, the question taking the hunter off guard for a moment._

_He watched Julius tense, and the he growled, "Don't you dare touch them, or I will make your death that much more painful!"_

_Soma shook his head. "I'm not interested in doing anything of the sort. I'm a bit too busy to bother with destroying humanity just yet." He was silent for several moments, then asked, "Do you have any children?"_

"…_Why do you want to know?" Julius countered with his own question._

"_Because," Soma explained. "After thinking about it, I realized that I knew almost nothing of the man who was once a friend, and now an enemy. In fact, I found this to be true with nearly everyone. Yoko, Arikado, Hammer…" he shrugged. "It simply made me wonder. Although I do admit," he gave a humorless smile. "I am wondering if I'll have to deal with any other Belmonts in the near future."_

"_Hmph, with the way you talk, you make it sound like I'm going to keel over any minute," Julius said gruffly, but Soma was sure he could hear the same tone that the hunter would take when he told Soma or Yoko off for calling him old. _

"_Well, you certainly aren't as young as you used to be," he responded dryly. "Well?" he then prompted. "Are you going to answer my question?"_

_For the longest time, Julius didn't answer. Soma could almost see the internal strife. Should he answer, and risk the safety of his family? Or should he refuse to do so, and in turn risk destroying what little bond he and Soma might have left?_

"_Twin daughters," he finally said. "Born last July."_

"_Ah," the vampire nodded. "So it looks like I'll have at least a decade of peace."_

"_And what peace can the undead find?" Julius asked, reading his whip._

"_An excellent question," Soma hissed, baring his fangs as he summoned Gaibon to his side. "Perhaps I will find the answer."_

The battle had been brutal. Had Julius not insisted that he face the vampire alone and sent Yoko and Arikado away, chances were that Soma would have been defeated. What Julius had lacked thanks to old age, he made up with experience and sheer stubbornness. It was his speed and his souls that kept him alive. Soma reclined back into his throne as he ran through what had happened after the battle.

_Both human and vampire alike were pushed to their absolute limit. Julius had a collapsed lung, and he favored his left leg. The Gaibon had bitten his shoulder which was bleeding profusely. The only reason he still stood was through sheer force of will._

_Soma too was exhausted. He had been forced to dismiss Gaibon because it had become too taxing to keep the demon out. He was unable to use his right arm, and he had several burns thanks to holy water. If the Belmont had any other tricks up his sleeve, he doubted that he would survive. _

"_I shouldn't tell you this," Julius said. His voice was hoarse thanks to a bruised throat where an Alura Une had grabbed him. He coughed, blood leaking out of his mouth, then continued. "Arikado told me not to tell you. But something in me says it's the right thing to do…" The hunter stumbled slightly, it was a miracle he was still standing. "Soma, your turn for vengeance was pointless."_

"_And why is that?" Soma snarled, gripping the broadsword with his left hand. _

"_What Celia killed was just a Doppelganger," Julius replied. "You know what that means."_

_Soma narrowed his eyes at what he was implying. "You jest old man," the vampire sneered. "She is dead. I could feel this the moment I turned."_

_Julius shook his head. "No. She lives. Arikado had hidden her when this spectacle started, incase you did become the Dark Lord." He chuckled at Soma's shock and rage. That triggered a coughing fit, and this time he fell, his strength finally waning._

_Soma shot forward, grabbing him by the throat, hissing, "Where is she? __Where?!__"_

"_I don't know," Julius said. He cried out when Soma suddenly threw him, slamming against a wall. A loud snap could be heard as the hunter's spine gave out from the force. Before he could fall, however, he was impaled by Soma's sword. Blood stained the wall and floor as he hung there. He had done everything he could, but he could not keep his promise. With this last regret, he died, pinned to the wall of the throne room. _

_Barely minutes after Julius's death, Yoko carefully entered the chamber, her staff out incase anything tried to attack. She frowned when there was no sign of Soma, or any of his demonic servants. Wasting no time, she quickly retrieved the Belmont's body, relieved to find no trace of fang marks or any other sign of a vampire bite. She whispered a quick prayer for Julius's soul as she raced through the castle. If Soma was strong enough to kill Julius, then she doubted her own ability to defeat the vampire lord. _

_Before she left the Demon Guest House though, a barrier blocked her path. She turned to find a path around it, but stopped short, for she had found the source of the obstruction behind her._

_There stood Soma, though he looked much worse for wear. His white coat was stained red, with several slashed holes, probably thanks to Julius's whip. She internally winced at the burn marks left by holy weapons. Had it been anyone else, she wouldn't be too moved, but this was Soma. Her once good friend._

"_What is it that you want?" Yoko asked, careful to keep her voice neutral._

"_I have an offer I wish to extend to you," he said. "Out of everyone I know, you are perhaps the most trust worthy. You are powerful and reliable. I offer you the chance to join my side."_

"_And become a vampire?" Yoko narrowed her eyes._

"_If you so wish to, though I would not turn you with out your consent," Soma replied. "I will not make this offer to just anyone, Yoko. You are the most worthy human to aide me."_

"_Well," she said. "It seems that you don't know me all that well after all. If you did, then you'd know that I'd never accept such an offer."_

"_Hm. I expected as much, but I want you to keep the offer in mind." He smiled. She couldn't read anything in his expression, so that had her worried. "Until we meet again, then." He then faded, and the barrier vanished. _

_She took off as soon as it was removed. However, when she came to the entrance of the castle, she stopped for a moment, then turned. "I'm sorry Soma," she whispered._

He shook his head, discarding the memory for the time being. What the humans were doing did not interest him now. No, it was the news that Julius had left him. That Mina was still alive.

This changed everything. The reason that he had become the Dark Lord was to avenge Mina's death. If she was still alive, what was he to do?

Simple. Soma's eyes narrowed. One of the few annoyances of becoming a vampire was that instincts were much more prominent, and therefore, harder to ignore. A snarl began to form as the voice continued.

Arikado has taken her away, it whispered. He has taken what was not his. She is ours, and will remain so.

"Why didn't Arikado tell me?" he growled out loud. "Why didn't he tell me that she was still alive?"

He is a traitor, he heard. He is a threat. He must be destroyed.

'But first,' decided Soma. 'I need to find Mina. The witches can work on scrying her location. I'll figure out a way to get Castlevania out of the eclipse, and once it's under my control, I'll send for Mina.'

Satisfied, he sent the orders out.

"Soon," he whispered. "We'll be together soon."

AN: Holy bejeebers! That was…different from what I usually write. Heck, this whole story's different from my usual stuff. Sorry I didn't write the battle between Soma and Julius, I'm not too good at fighting scenes. (Plus I haven't finished Julius mode, Gergoth's being a butthead and just won't frikin' die.) Tell me what you think. Criticism welcomed, reviews appreciated, and flames ignored.


End file.
